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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. straw — to clutch at straws
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. wax — for sculpting
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. lie — to recline
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. degree — from a university
  9. bore — to drill
  10. rash — a series
  11. degree — temperature
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bore — to tire
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. wax — to grow
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. wax — in the ear
  19. rash — hasty
  20. degree — an amount
  21. bear — the animal
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. straw — a straw man

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com